I have always had a problem with easy bruising and with occasionally breaking blood vessels in my fingers. I never really worried too much because my grandmother had the same problem. Well, my grandmother has heart disease too, and I never made the connection.

Vitamin C is necessary to repair and stabilize capillary and blood vessel walls. Without sufficient vitamin C, the body will attempt to compensate by producing more cholesterol to repair vessel wall damage. Thus, prolonged vitamin C deficiency actually leads to the build-up of these fatty deposits in the blood vessels, which doctors call atherosclerosis - the leading cause of heart attacks. I bet your doctor never told you to take more vitamin C to prevent a heart attack! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Why don't animals get heart attacks? Their bodies produce vitamin C endogenously (from within the body).

Thus, easing bruising and broken capillaries can be a sign of chronic vitamin C deficiency. Remember, the US RDA is very, very low... RDA recommendations are the levels it takes to keep rats from dying. Easy bruising/broken capillaries are common signs that the capillary walls are fragile and are a possible predictor of cardiovascular disease.

A vitamin C supplement that contains bioflavonoids from various citrus sources would be best, since the bioflavonoids augment the function of vitamin C.

Diabetics often exhibit lower levels of vitamin C, as do the elderly and people on blood-thinning medication.

So, if you have high cholesterol levels, before you try Lipitor or some other pharmaceutical, you may want to consider significantly increasing your vitamin C intake. Eat more fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C, drink organic orange juice, and take a good vitamin C supplement that contains citrus bioflavonoids. I personally take between 3 and 4,000 mg of Nature's Sunshine "Citrus Bioflavonoids" every day and I have really noticed a difference in my bruising.

Vitamin C is also recommended for Raynaud's. Plus, I would add magnesium to help relieve the "spasms" that block the circulation to your fingers and toes. It's interesting to note that migraines are often a symptom of Raynaud's and research shows that magnesium helps migraines. You might also consider a supplement that helps promote circulation and normalize blood pressure if you have low blood pressure. There's a lot of research on the benefits of Hawthorn berries for various circulatory problems. In fact, my grandmother had 80% occlusion of both carotid arteries. I had her start taking an herbal supplement called HS II that contained hawthorn berries, garlic and capsicum (cayenne). The occlusion actually decreased and the doctor told her that whatever she was doing she should keep on doing it!

I really hope this information helps! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />